First Base
by Clara Barton
Summary: A birthday surprise for Heero turns out... surprisingly well.


Warnings: language

Pairings: 1x3, 2x5

_First Base_

"No."

Heero arched an eyebrow.

Duo shook his head emphatically, his long braid shaking.

"You can't do this to me," Duo was practically whining.

Heero fought to keep his face straight.

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"I'm talking about the- the you!" Duo gestured at Heero.

Heero looked down at himself, at his Derek Jeter jersey and the Yankees baseball cap he held in his right hand.

"And?"

"And you can't go to Fenway Stadium _dressed_ like that, man!"

Duo looked on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"It is my birthday," Heero reminded him.

"I know! I know it's your fucking birthday and that's why I promised Wufei all kinds of kinky shit for his extra ticket to this game - do you know how much money people would pay to see the Yankees play the Red Sox when they're fighting for first place in the division?"

"I appreciate you sacrificing your body for my birthday."

Duo rolled his eyes.

"That's not the point. The point is - you - you can't just sit beside Wufei like that. You _know _Wufei - you know what a huge Red Sox fan he is! You know he only started dating me in the first place because I work at Fenway and now - now you're going to ruin my sex life, Heero. Heero, buddy, just… just take a moment. Step back. Think about what effect your actions have on the people around you."

Heero and Duo had been best friends since elementary school, when Heero punched Duo in the mouth and said his hair looked stupid and Duo shoved his face in the mud and said his face looked stupid. Their resulting punishment of sitting in timeout had meant they spent twenty minutes making faces at each other and giggling until the teacher gave in and released them.

Heero felt like the twenty years between that day and now were those same events repeated over and over again.

Their friends and mothers wondered why they had never dated - and once Heero had asked Duo that question as well. Duo's response had been to laugh so hard he cried. They had been each others firsts - first kiss, first hand job, first blow job, first sex and while Heero agreed with Duo that their sex had always been more fun than good, the real reason he knew they had never dated was because one time one of them would go too far - annoy the shit out of each other to the point that they would end their relationship and their friendship meant too much to both of them to risk it.

"When you say you had to promise Wufei all kinds of kinky shit…?"

"Do you _really_ want to know?" Duo asked.

"No. I just wanted to sound as if I cared."

Duo snorted and then shook his head.

"Fine. Fine. You go enjoy your game - be the solitary Yankees fan in the sea of Red Sox nation and try not to get your ass kicked. And I'll just pretend I don't know you."

Heero rolled his eyes.

"You won't even see me."

"Um, dude, I work in the control booth. The video feeds are everywhere - and you know someone is going to insist on showing the single Yankees fan getting his ass kicked at the game today."

"Your concern is overwhelming."

"My concern about your mom never forgiving me is making my balls shrink," Duo responded.

Heero glared at him.

Duo groaned and he pulled Heero into a tight hug.

"Happy birthday. Go have fun and try not to piss off the entire state of Massachusetts."

-o-

Heero had never spent much time with Wufei. Duo's boyfriend was a doctor, wealthy, and a prick, as far as Heero was concerned. He wasn't quite sure how or why he and Duo got along, but they did. Heero and Wufei, on the other hand, had a long standing agreement to tolerate each other when absolutely necessary.

Heero had to wonder just how the afternoon would go - he and Wufei were rarely left alone without Duo's supervision and Heero distinctly remembered the last time he and Wufei had watched baseball together. It had been the division play-offs, last year, at the corner bar and Heero had, as usual, been the only one rooting for the Yankees, and both he and Wufei had had too much to drink and in the end, Duo had had to step in and keep it from turning violent.

But, as Heero searched for Wufei's seats behind home plate, he didn't see the familiar dark head.

Instead, as he neared the seats, he noticed an unfamiliar man sitting in Wufei's seat.

Heero frowned as he checked his ticket. These were definitely the seats.

But the auburn haired man wearing a Red Sox had was most definitely not Wufei.

Heero approached and the man looked up at him with deep green eyes and a slight smile.

"You must be Heero."

Heero arched an eyebrow.

The man stood and held out his hand.

"I'm Trowa Barton. Wufei couldn't make it - he had an emergency surgery - so he gave me his ticket."

Heero shook the man's hand.

"How did you know -"

Trowa smirked and glanced at Heero's jersey.

"Wufei said you'd be the obnoxious Yankees fan."

Heero rolled his eyes.

"Of course he did."

They sat back down and Heero tried very hard not to look at the man beside him.

Trowa was… incredibly handsome. He was tall, his body lean, his skin glowing with a faint tan and his face comprised of clean, strong lines.

"So… you belong to Duo."

Heero frowned at that.

"What?"

"Wufei said you were Duo's."

"I don't _belong _to him," Heero insisted.

Trowa smirked.

"Wufei's jealous of you."

Heero arched an eyebrow at him.

"Why?"

Trowa shrugged.

"Because he thinks Duo needs you in his life more than he needs Wufei."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because Wufei's my best friend and I want him to be happy."

"He isn't happy with Duo?"

"He's so happy he's questioning himself - and Duo. So I wanted to know, is there anything going on between you and Duo?"

Heero was irritated by the question, by the entire interrogation, but at the same time… he felt confident that if their positions were reversed, he would be asking the same questions that Trowa was.

"Just a lifetime of antagonism and friendship."

Trowa's lips twitched in humor.

"But not anything else?"

"No."

Trowa nodded and settled back into his seat.

"Good. I wasn't looking forward to having to kick your ass after I saw how good it looked."

The comment startled a laugh out of Heero and Trowa smirked.

Their attention was drawn back to the field as the game started, and Heero settled in to enjoy himself.

He and his father had had a difficult relationship, but the one thing they had always shared was a passion for the Yankees - and Heero was just as obsessive about watching his favorite team play as his father had been.

He rarely got to see games live, his work schedule and lack of funds meant that it was rare he could afford to buy tickets when the Yankees came to town and while Heero appreciated Duo trading Wufei kinky sex for this seat, Heero wasn't about to ask him to do it often.

Trowa seemed just as involved in the game as Heero was - but of course he was rooting for the other side.

Trowa, like most of the crowd, booed when an umpire called Dustin Pedroia out at first base.

"It was a fair call," Heero muttered.

Trowa snorted.

"Sure. If you make it with your eyes closed."

Heero rolled his eyes but didn't argue the point - Red Sox fans were stupidly biased.

In the fifth inning an umpire called Jacoby Ellsbury out when he tried to steal third.

"Come on!" Heero shouted. "He was safe! What are you, blind!"

His shout earned more than a few grumbles from the Red Sox fans around him, and Trowa regarded Heero with amusement.

"He was out," Trowa said.

"He was safe. By a mile."

Trowa snorted again, the sound somewhere between amused and derisive.

"Sure he was."

Heero glared at him, but Trowa just smirked.

During the seventh inning stretch Heero turned to Trowa.

"Wufei has to know that Duo is crazy about him."

Trowa nodded.

"He does. But Duo is… well. You know. He's a big fan of yours - talks about you all the time."

"To you?"

Trowa shrugged one shoulder.

"We don't hang out much - Wufei and I work different shifts at the hospital - but the few times I've had dinner at their house, yes, he's talked about you to me."

But Heero had never heard of Trowa before. Strange.

Wait.

Hadn't Duo mentioned something about a hot, green-eyed surgeon last week? Joked about setting Heero up with him?

"Oh shit."

Heero frowned and looked over at Trowa, but Trowa was staring at the huge monitor in centerfield that was currently displaying their faces with the words 'Kiss Cam' hanging above.

"No fucking way."

Duo.

Duo, who worked in the control booth and had complained, time and time again, about how boring his job was and how he liked to pick out couples who looked pissed or ready to fight when he had to do the kiss cam segment each game.

"Well?" Trowa asked.

Heero sighed and turned to him.

"Might as well."

"That's the most romantic thing I've ever heard," Trowa said as he leaned in close, his lips curved up in a smirk.

The kiss was brief, just a quick, firm press of Trowa's lips against Heero's.

But it was enough.

Heero sat back and stared at Trowa and Trowa stared back.

He was pretty sure he wasn't the only one that had felt an urge to kiss again.

Trowa leaned in again, and this time the kiss was longer. This time Trowa's lips parted and Heero took advantage of it and sucked on his lower lip, tasting Trowa and enjoying the arousal he felt.

When they sat back they were both a little breathless and their eyes a little unfocused.

After a moment, Trowa cleared his throat.

"If I'd known we were going to get to first base I would have worn cologne."


End file.
